The festival will be held over the Labour Day weekend, from March 7 to 9, with Ballarat City Council launching the festival on Thursday. 

Celebrity gardener Melissa King will return for the third year and LEGO certified professional Ryan McNaught will join the event for the first time, making the world’s biggest LEGO flower to be displayed at the festival.

Ms King said she felt so welcomed by the festival and was excited to come back for her third year. 

Last year, she was heavily pregnant during the festival and gave birth to her second son only one week later. 

“It’s wonderful to come back year after year, feel like part of the family and see the festival grow and grow,” Ms King said. 

She will conduct workshops on autumn gardening, with practical tips on what you should be doing to your garden at the beginning of the season. 

The twilight cinema will also return, with The Lego Movie to be shown on the Lake Wendouree foreshore, opposite the Botanic Gardens, on March 8, for United Way Ballarat. 

Ballarat mayor John Philips said the locals loved coming out to a festival and engaging with one another. 

“In excess of a quarter of Ballarat come to the parade and up to half of the city visit the festival,” Cr Philips said. 

“It’s jam-packed with some great things.”

He said it was great to have Mr McNaught come on board. 

“I think a lot of eight-year-olds want to kill him because they all want his job.” 

Central Highlands Water customer and community general manager Paul Clark said the authority was excited to bring a cafe to the festival, encouraging people to choose a healthy lifestyle and also raise awareness of its campaign to “be smart drink tap”.

nicole.cairns@fairfaxmedia.com.au